Ambulance-stretcher vehicle.



T. CRAWFORD. AMBULANCE STRETCHER VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED JULY25| 191?.

Patented 'J fine 25, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

T. CRAWFORD.

AMBULANCE STRETCHER VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED 1uLY25. 1911.

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Patented June 25, 1918.

T4. CRAWFORD. AMBULAN C E STRETCHER VEHICLE.

APPLICATION men JULY25, 1917. 112 38 Patented June 25, 1918.

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T. CRAWFORD.-

AMBULANCE STRETCHER VEHICLE;

APPLIFIATION FILED JULY25, 1917.

Patented J une 25, 1918.

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In. W15?!) I mamas Wrwwfb moms CRAWFORD, or nnrsron, ENGLAND.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 25, 1917. Serial No. 182,628.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS CRAWFORD, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Bristol, county of Somerset, in England, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Ambulance- Stretcher Vehicle, of which the following space in storing the vehicles, since thesupports can be secured to the frame ofthe vehicle and the same turned upon end one against the other in tiers, and again, in as sembling or disassembling the parts,no bolts or other fixingelements have to be manually operated or manipulated, the supports alone being handled. a i

To these ends, the frameis mounted. on wheels, preferably twowsideby side .at or about its longitudinal center, I and one, at each end at or about the transverse center, these latter being carried by springs and mountedto enable the trolley to be easily steered or turned. The stretchersupports are preferably constructed on the cantaliver ALB principle and'comprise standards carrying horizontal arms or brackets extending therefrom, and formed either integral therewith ordeta'chabletherefrom. i Sufficient space is a rovided between the tiers of cant'aliver rackets, and conse- .quently between the superimposedstretchers, to allow of the patients on the lower stretchers bein readily placedin position and removed, %ut, if necessary, the bracke'ts can be swungto the longitudinal posi- .tion to allow of thisbeingdone more easily,

and, if desired, the space mentioned may be such as to permit of the patients-being fed or otherwise attended ,to while on the stretchers carriedb the vehicle.

' Thestandards which support the stretcher carrying brackets-areipreferably maintained in" upstanding petitioner the frame by Patented June as, rare; I

sockets positioned on said frame, and in which sockets the standards are seated. Cotter-pins or equivalent means. cooperate with the standards and with the sockets for the purpose of normally precluding rotary movement ofthe standards in the sockets.

The brackets may be formed of steel tubing brazed to the standards, but they can also be made of malleable cast iron or other metal and slid into grooves in castings at-' tached to the standards, or dropped over standards and held in position by cotterpins extending from the standard. Other convenient means for the detachable mounting or erecting of the standards or brackets,

or both, may be used, according to require- H ments or method of construction adopted.

The lower stretchers are supported by rests on the frame, certain of these being advantageously formed integral with the sockets above mentioned.

Two embodiments of the invention are it represented in the accompanying drawings one form being shown in Figures 1 to 3 in side elevation, plan view and end elevation respectivelywhich represent a simple and illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of which Fig.

4 is an end elevation and Fig. 5a plan.

To refer firstly to the construction of Figs.

1 to 3 the ambulance vehicle is shown comprising two side frames or runners a, as of similar material secured to the runners by bolts 0, this frame structure being mounted on four wheels viz. two main supporting wheels one at each side provided with pnew hard wood, and two end cross frames 72 of matic tires and mounted on an axle e as ofm:

gas barrel or piping carried by-the side runners at, and two other auxiliary running and steering wheels 7 also provided with resilient tires and each mounted to slide laterally on a spindle 9 within limits determined by stops it on said spindle, and the as by steel Springs 2' encircling the ends of the spindles and secured with interposed spindles being carried in a resilient manner a blocksnj to the underside of the siderun-gw ners a as by screws.

Secured to the upper surface of each of the cross frames 6 at one side thereof,is a socket is for instancev of cast iron hailing formed, integrally therewith 1 a.

/ stretcher rest Z which cooperates with another rest m at the opposite side ofthe frame to support a stretcher, the said latter rest being conveniently of wood and also 5 secured to the cross frame' The said sockets each receives a vertical standard a prefer.-

ably termed "or steel tubing the upper end of'which has attached'the'reto, as'by a'brazedjoint, a horizontal bracket or arm 0 also conveniently of steel tubing, the connection being strengthened if required" by. an inclined 'strutp. The bracket 0 is by p'refer "once as shown bent to produce-stretcher resting surfaces'q and ron its surface.

The ends of the arms have projectlons s to prevent the stretcher slipping fofi sidewise. P

The upper edge of the socket in is :providedwith two notches or depressions -'t and a into either one of which a cotter :pin 'v or equivalent extending from the standard may engage to hold said standard against axial rotation: 'either with the bracket in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 --for"-'reoeption "of a stret'cher'orjn the position'shown iribroken lines in Fig. 1 where the brackets are swung inward for conveniencein loadingor unloadingthe lower stretcher. 7

To now refer to the construction-shown 'in Figs. 4: and'5 the frame structure is formed similarly to that above described, but in addition is provided with 'one ad ditional longitudinal runner a and 'a dentral cross irameb The main wheelaxle "e is also here supported by brackets or hangers 6 carried by suitable shackles or the like *and the steering Wheels f are mounted on'short axles :g carried on steel 40 springs 2' depending "from 'woodblo'cks y fixedto the end cross frames. The sockets are in this constructionattached; to the end cross fra'mes'atth'e longitudinal center of the vehicle and have "stretcher rests Z cast on as shown. 'The sides of the sleeve "are slotted asat M to receive a cotter-pin extending through the standard-to hold thelatter against axial rotation. The standards can thus he slipped into and out -of'i-thesocketswith ease and held securely-in the desired position. The said sockets each receive a vertical standard "n preferably formed of solid steel the upper en'dof which has' attached" thereto by brazed joints two horizontal brackets or arms' o rem-edpreferably "of steel tubing,

, the =connections -being strengthened if required by inclinedstrutsjp. The bracketso are" by preference "shaped :as shown, being bent "to produce stretcher i resting forms on their upper surfaces. The'endsofthe arms have proj ections 's to prevent the-stretcher --s'lipping 0 1i sidewise.

'Withthis construction it will be seen that the. brackets and standards can-" be "readily dismounted from the sockets and fixings can be provided on the bed of the trolley transporter to take the standards when dismounted so that a number of vehicles can be stored in a very small space in tiers or on end. It will also be seen by this construction that the re-assemblage oi the parts is side only, and saving of space, time and laboris effected by the detachable nature of the stand'ards'and brackets which permitof them being dismounted without thc'use of" tools.

I do not limit 1I1ySlf to the exact constructlon or arrangement of parts hereinbefore described since the same may be varied "within the limits prescribed the appended claims without departing from the spirit of'the invention.

What I claim asmy invention and desire to secure'by Letters Patent of the United 1. A' stretchervehicle embodying a base frame -mounted on a plurality of wheels, a

stretcher support formed on said-base frame,

a-socket at eachiend of said base, vertical "standards seated in 's'aid sockets, and laterally extending eantaliver arms 1 mounted on said standards, said cantaliver arm's serving to support a stretcher above the i stretcher adapted to be sup ortedby the base frame, and said standards being rotatable to bring the cantaliv er arms into substantial "alinement, when the "u per stretcher 'is removed. therefrom, to allow the stretcher supported upon the base frame-to be removed them-- from or replaced thereen without interference by the cantaliver arms.

1A stretcher vehicle em todying a base -frame'mcunted t e plurality or wlieels,-a stretcher sup ort formed Unsaid base frame, a soe ket at each end; of said base, vertical standards seated "in said sockets, laterally exrendi'ngeantalive r'nounted on said -'sta'ndards, I said 'c'anteliver arms serving to support a -stretcherabove the stretcher ada'pted tome-supported bytlie' base frame, and said standards beifig rotatable to bring the cantaliver ems into substantial time merit, when the" upper-- stretcher is removed therefrom, to allow the stretcher sup orted n'pon :-the Base fraI-iie *to 'iie reame therefrom or replaced thereon without interference by the cantahver arms, and means for locking the standards against rotation while the upper stretcher is supported on the cantaliver arms.

3. A stretcher vehicle embodying a wheeled base, a plurality of stretcher sup ports mounted upon the wheeled base for supporting a stretcher directly thereon, a plurality of standards positioned in upstanding relation on said base and mounted for axial rotation, each of said standards being provided with. a laterally extending cantaliver arm, which arms serve to support a second stretcher above the one supported by the base, and means for locking the standards against rotation when the up per stretcher is supported thereby, said standards being adapted to be released and rotated to bring the cantaliver arms into substantial alinement, when the upper stretcher is removed, to allow of the removal of the lower stretcher without inter ference by said cantaliver arms.

4.. A stretcher vehicle embodying a wheeled baseprovided with means for carrying a plurality of stretchers directly thereon, standards rotatably mounted in upstanding position on said base, and each of which is provided. with oppositely extending lateral arms, which arms are adapted to support stretchers above those supported directly upon the base, and means for locking the standards against rotation while the upper stretchers are supported thereby, said standards being rotatable, after the upper stretchers are removed, to a position wherein the normally laterally extending arms of both standards are in substantial alinement, whereby the lower stretchers may be removed without interference by said arms.

A stretcher vehicle embodying a base frame mounted on a plurality of wheels, a stretcher support formed on said base frame, a socket at each end of said base, vertical standards detachably seated in said sockets, and laterally extending cantaliver arms mounted on said standards, said cantaliver arms serving to supporta stretcher above the stretcher adapted to be supported by the base frame, and said standards being rotatable to bring the cantaliver arms into substantial alinement, when the upper stretcher is removed therefrom, to allow the stretcher supported upon the base frame to be removed therefrom or replaced thereon with out interference by the cantaliver arms, the standards being removable from the sockets, when the vehicle is not in use, to allow of the compact storing of a plurality of such vehicles.

In witness whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two wit- HENRY Hows,

G. W. D. CARRIE.

Ueptee of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, hy addressing the Goesioner of hatente,

ashllnsten, D. G. 

